Unravelling the Pattern
by obsessedatopia
Summary: Jesus tries to put his concerns about the women in his life aside as he prepares for a wrestling competition, but revelations beyond his control force him to confront them sooner than he planned. As Stef and Lena try to get to the bottom of his troubles he finds himself questioning not only his past decisions but also what the future could bring. 3-Parter.
1. Wrestling Your Demons

**Hello friends! Thanks for the superb response to the last fic. It was great to be back again and catch up with so many of you :) I truly appreciate the reviews and kind words. This is a little 3-part fic and I was keen to get it out before Monday's episode as I have a feeling that it will conflict with canon at that point (which I never feel comfortable writing unless it is entirely AU). This was an idea that came up in speculative discussion with my friend and commentator _RL13436 _so thank you to her for her contribution to this plot. Everything will probably change on Monday, but I hope you enjoy this little plot route in the meantime. For my regular readers this may be a little different from my usual focus as I've never written a non-fluff Jesus fic before but I've tried to keep the balance with other family members (especially in chapters 2 &amp; 3). As always, I welcome constructive reviews and look forward to hearing your views and predictions!**

**Thanks to _thesameguest _for always being my guinea pig and thanks to _BelovedMaeve _for helping me kick start ideas for the opening scene. Check out their work because it is awesome. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Jesus sneaked a look down at his phone even though he knew who the beep had belonged to. He didn't know what was more frustrating, that his moms were forcing him to stay in to finish his stupid project or that Hayley was slowly punishing him for not being able to see her via medium of text.

"I'm going to take that off you." Lena threatened, peering over her own pile of paperwork as Stef adjusted her glasses to check as well.

"Why do I even have to do this now? It's not due for days." He complained, slipping his phone away and flicking his pen on the open book.

"Because as Mama pointed out several times, your competition and extra wrestling practice means you won't get another chance." Stef answered briskly, sensing that even her wife's eternal patience was being tested by Jesus' permanent bad mood these days. They couldn't figure out if it was nerves or simple teenage stubbornness, something made no easier by his insistence that nothing was wrong. As much as Stef liked to dream it was all because of Hayley and that he would soon enough cut her loose, there seemed to be too much swimming behind his eyes for that to be it. Still, that didn't stop her from resenting the grip the girl had over her son. She shook her head hearing another beep from his pocket.

"If I ever get my hands on that girl's phone it's going to end up going for an impromptu swim in the toilet." She muttered quietly into Lena's curls as she broke from her bills and collected their empty mugs. "Accidentally, of course."

Lena hid her chuckle by turning her attentions to the once again distracted Jesus. She extended her arm out as he screwed his face up defensively.

"It's not like I'm sending the texts." He whined, resisting handing it over.

"Oh, don't worry, we all know who is sending them." Stef muttered petulantly as Jesus met her playful teasing with a scathing look.

"This way you can have a break from them and blame me." Lena tempered away from more confrontation. "Come on." She prompted as Jesus finally passed the phone over.

"It's like you're punishing me just because you don't like my girlfriend." he grumbled as Stef smiled through a sip of her fresh tea. "Don't be such a victim Jesus, it's not like you're not seeing her as soon as you're finished. The quicker you get this done the quicker you can hang out with Little Miss - " Stef paused, clocking a warning look from Lena. "...Dancey Pants." she fluffed, acknowledging her pre-emptive scolding with a mischievous eyebrow raise.

Jesus huffed looking down at his page. He wasn't even mad about not seeing Hayley. In some ways he was glad for the excuse, as Lena suggested, but on the other hand he was already on thin ice with her and the only way for their dates to even be bearable these days were to keep her happy. He knew this would not. He'd briefly tried to fight against it but it was almost easier to submit now that she was permanently etched on his skin. She'd probably grow out of it eventually anyway, and it wasn't like he didn't enjoy being with her when she wasn't in a bad mood with him. He had always liked her, and he loved feeling needed. Was there even an alternative? His thoughts were distracted by the doorbell and it had barely finished its ring before he was out of his seat, desperate for any change of scenery.

"If that's her I'm actually going to change our address." Stef glared at his disappearing figure as Lena gently swatted her arm.

As he got closer to the door, Jesus' thoughts wandered into similar territory. She wouldn't actually be hunting him down, would she? That would be too far even for her - he had been clear when he told her that... - he froze with confusion as he took in who was standing there.

"Jesus..." Emma greeted him awkwardly as there was a flurry from the stairs behind him.

"It's for me!" Mariana's voice accompanied the pattering of feet. "Hey Emma!" She smiled as Jesus turned to her, confused. "You invited Emma round?" He blurted out as Mariana shrugged innocently.

"It's not like you guys don't see each other all the time at practice. We have coding to do."

"Hi Emma..." Lena had now appeared looking curiously from the edge of the kitchen. Stef's eyes glistened just behind, quietly indulging the scene as if she were watching a guilty pleasure on television.

"You guys don't mind if Emma and me work on some STEM stuff do you?" Mariana asked as Emma looked between them all, embarrassed at how high profile her entrance had become.

"Of course not. You can come round any time, love." Stef added in with a devilish smile as Lena subtly tapped her shin.

"We'll stay out of your way, don't worry." Emma bashfully acknowledged before looking cautiously at Jesus. "Good practice yesterday, huh? You feeling ready for the competition?" She attempted small talk as he tried to get back his words. He did see Emma all the time at school and he had become used to that. Seeing her in his house at this particular time, however, had caught him off guard and suddenly he found his thoughts getting jumbled.

"Jesus." Mariana prompted impatiently, not appreciating how much time his dithering was taking out of her visitor's time.

"Uh yeh. I'm feeling confident." He stuttered out as boldly as he could, shaking his head. "I hear they're pretty fierce though. They may play dirty." He added with a shrug, trying to endorse his illusion of playing it cool. A moment of silence followed before Emma took charge of it.

"So, upstairs, right?" She looked to Mariana who nodded. Gripping her tablet firmly she moved past her only just remembering to cast a thank you to Stef and Lena who acknowledged it and gravitated back towards the kitchen.

Jesus grabbed Mariana's arm as she moved to follow. Checking Emma had gone, he scowled at her as she yanked her arm back.

"Why wouldn't you tell me she was coming? That's my ex-girlfriend."

"Thanks Jesus, I think I knew that." She scoffed back. "What's the big deal - you see each other all the time and broke up ages ago."

"Hayley's already mad at me - not helped by you quitting the team. What about boundaries?"

"It's not like you ever respected our boundaries when it came to _getting _with my friends." Mariana put her palm out to deflect blame. "If you have problems with Hayley then that's not my problem. Maybe you should have stayed with Emma in the first place." She added smugly, her eyes bulging, before casting up the stairs, unforgiving.

Jesus sighed, kicking his heel against the bottom step and leaning against the banister. He thought back to his internal questioning and the sudden contrast he had been presented with. There was definitely _this_ alternative. Not every woman in his life was like Hayley or Ana. He had many independent women in his life, as good as he was at being there fore the vulnerable ones. Emma and Hayley couldn't have been more different. That hadn't come without its difficulties but there were certainly many times when they seemed worth it as a comparison. He found himself wondering what Emma would have said had he broken the news to her about Ana. She probably would have known what to do - she probably would have _told_ him what to do. Would he have preferred that? He hadn't ever been entirely comfortable with that role either, but was it better than being berated for letting his attention wander to his own problems? He certainly had always felt Emma's support.

"The sooner you get this done the sooner you have your afternoon back, Jesus." Lena's voice interrupted him from the kitchen. He pushed himself off the banister and fluffed his hair. That ship had sailed either way. He had sealed that off when that pen scratched through his skin. Even if he did ever want to go back to Emma, she would never take him with that. Who would?

"You coming back through?" Stef appeared, suddenly softening when she saw his busy mind processing through whatever was the cause of his concern.

"Come on, love. Zip through it and you and Hayley can get back to doing whatever it is you guys were wanting to do." She threw him a bone of consolation, as much as the words tasted like vinegar. He nodded as she stroked a hand through his hair as he passed.

"What is going on in that head of yours." She whispered to herself as he moved off into the kitchen. She was sure it would come out soon enough, but it didn't stop her wanting to fix it now.

* * *

Jesus pulled himself out of his liplock, spotting the clock behind Hayley's head. "I better get going, Coach likes us to warm up before he gets there."

"Can't even spare five more minutes? I'm already losing you all night to that competition." She pouted with a flirtatious glint in her eye.

"You know what competition days are like." he replied softly, kissing her again.

"I do. Not that you made it to mine..." she drew a circle round his chest. It had been delivered in a playful tone but it didn't stop Jesus from feeling a pang of annoyance.

"I explained that." He replied, his voice edging on frustrated but trying to keep it cool.

"You know I'm only teasing you." Hayley replied with a hint of a scold. "I'll be there shouting for you all the way." She smoothed her hands out over his chest noticing his eyes had begun to wander to a group of his teammates coming down the hall, Emma prominently at the front trying to avert eye contact. "Besides -" Hayley commanded back his attention. "I know you'll be there for me at state and at all the future ones. You have our whole lives to make it up to me." She beamed innocently, tracing over his tattoo with her finger, pulling the edge of his singlet back.

"Careful!" He replied, snapping his body away as she looked at him offended.

"Are you embarrassed about it?" She asked, her eyebrows crinkling up to frame her concerned eyes.

"It's not that..." Jesus took her hands, trying to cover. "I just like to have something that is just ours, you know?"

"Mmhmm." She mumbled, unconvinced. "Well I guess you better follow your team." Red flags flying in his brain he leaned in to kiss her again, feeling her slowly relinquish her disapproval.

"I'll see you after the match." He assured her as he pulled himself away, caressing her cheek as he left. Turning away he took a deep breath, his eyes closed. He hadn't felt his heart pump that much since Mariana had discovered the tattoo - now he was even more ashamed of it every time he tried to picture their future. Could he even picture a future with her? He made his way into the hall and put down his bag, beginning his stretches. His mind was abuzz with everything once again, he knew he had to find his focus before tonight but all he could think of was an endless parade of memories. All the times he had to step up and look after Mariana or Ana. He did that because he loved them, in one way or another. He _had_ to put up with their transgressions, even Ana. Her crying still cut him deep inside. How would he feel about her new child? Would that be yet another person in his life he would end up having to protect? What if Ana couldn't keep up her sobriety? He was bound to feel a connection to his half sibling. A duty to them, or at the very least a sympathy if he saw his own childhood be reflected in that child's eyes. Realising his hands were shaking a little he gave his cheek a gentle slap and reached for his water bottle, losing his grip on it as it rolled across the floor.

"Come on, man." he whispered to himself, banging his fists down on his thigh and closing his eyes giving himself an internal pep talk.

"Here." His water bottle was the next thing he saw with a familiar voice accompanying it.

"It sort of hit me on the foot." Emma informed him, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry..." He instinctively replied, shaking his mind clean.

"You seem nervous. Don't worry, you can take them."

Jesus squinted for a moment, not even registering what Emma was talking about. Maybe the competition nerves were seeping in causing his mind to go into overdrive. Maybe this was a form of avoiding those, but then again he honestly couldn't even spare a thought for that.

He scratched the bridge of his nose and took his bottle, licking his lips into a pathetic smile.

"I'm sorry if I was rude the other day." He mumbled, feeling a strange comfort at being with someone who had once been such a soothing companion. She still was in many ways and he felt a strange calmness as he locked eyes with her gentle features.

"You weren't - and I'm sorry for showing up. I thought Mariana would have told you...or that you wouldn't mind."

"It's really OK, it's not like we broke up yesterday. I just had a lot going on and -" he paused, blinking in annoyance with himself. It was too easy to slip into familiarity with Emma. They had always had such a natural ease around each other.

"Is everything alright with you, you seem a little upset?" She asked before noting his discomfort. "Sorry. It's none of my business." She stepped off, raising her palms. "Let's just focus on the match, huh? I think you've got the bulldog. He is super strong and can be vicious but he doesn't have much skill."

"Thanks." He replied earnestly. He wasn't sure if he was thanking her for the tip or thanking her for seeming genuinely concerned. Despite his resistance he felt an urge to tell her. Right from the first few times they spoke he had found her so easy to confide in - first about his ADHD medication and then about his situation with Lexi.

"Well - good luck." She nodded, sensing that the silence was lingering too long and stepping back. He regretted it almost instantly but he found the words tripping out before he could stop them.

"Ana's getting sober. I snuck out to one of her AA meetings." he stopped short of mentioning the baby but he could still feel his stomach churning. Why would he be telling this to his ex-girlfriend?

Emma froze, feeling about as sick as Jesus was. They had been able to be alongside each other but they hadn't properly spoken since their fight about Hayley and the last thing she expected was this. Beyond that however she could see the desperation in his eyes. This was something that he had been harbouring and knowing his stubbornness he had probably been determined to handle it alone.

"That sounds like good news, isn't it?" She queried tentatively, able to tell in his posture that he didn't seem to think so. He darted his tongue along his lip, dicing with whether to continue. If he responded this would be a dialogue. Did he want to get into that? Especially right now. Then again, he couldn't help but feel the pressure was slowly easing, something he had only briefly felt when he confided in Brandon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could sit on all this without cracking. It wouldn't do any harm to take advantage of a friendly ear.

"It is, I suppose. I don't know - I just...she said certain things. Big things...stuff I shouldn't know. That I'm not sure I wanted to know."

"You don't have to tell me." Emma assured him as he nodded in appreciation. "But if it's upsetting you, you do need to tell someone."

"Moms will be so mad I went..." He offered up, his eyes blinking with nerves. Emma took it in with a sympathetic smile.

"Jesus, if it's affecting you this much I think you need to tell them. I'm sure they'll understand. Your moms are super cool." She saw his shoulders dip, showing a mild relief. "I mean come on, it can't be worse than telling your ex-girlfriend." She joked, hoping it might spark a smile. It did, even if it was just the corner of his mouth. The moment was interrupted with their coach's arrival calling them in and barking out various instructions about the bus being ready in a half hour.

"Thanks." Jesus managed to squeeze in before they got into warm up mode. Emma nodded in acknowledgement and the two of them separated. He couldn't ignore the warm feeling he had. Maybe even if things had passed with Emma he could still have her there as a friend somehow, or at least this must be a sign that they could still do more than co-exist. Maybe he could do with a friend who understood him. Hayley wouldn't like it though, but those complications could wait. He took the new buzz of noise around him and the lighter feeling of his shoulders to find his focus. Now he really did have to get his head in the game.

* * *

"This team are aggressive! I don't like it." Lena winced as yet another bout of yells broke out after an unpopular decision.

"Do you ever like it?" Stef teased with a nudge. "They do seem to be taking chunks out of them though. Some of their moves really are cutting it close with the rules."

"As if you can tell what's allowed and what isn't." Mariana smirked as Stef knocked her knee with hers along with a scolding look.

"I understand the rules. I'm an officer of the law." She protested.

"Oh yeah? Do you have to learn the rules of the sport before you're allowed to wrestle someone down?" Brandon scoffed as she threw him a look to match the one Mariana had received.

"Come on guys, lay off. You know that's not what she meant." Callie defended her foster mom.

"Thank you, love. At least one of you appreciates me."

"You meant you arrest the competitors who break the rules during the matches, right?" Callie added with a glint as Stef flicked her arm as retribution and the rest giggled.

"Look, it's Jesus' turn!" Jude pointed, bounding up and down as the Adams Foster party began to shout and cheer.

Jesus took a deep breath trying to find his centre as his vicious looking competitor began to grunt and hiss at him. As much as he had struggled to maintain focus before, his mind certainly wasn't wavering now. This guy looked terrifying, much bigger than their weight class would suggest and with a mean spark in his eye. Within seconds of the whistle he already found him overpowering him. He fought back, just making an escape and felt a tug and a scratch as he shouted out. The jeers made it clear that whatever his opponent had just done wasn't sportsmanlike.

"Come on boys, play nice." The referee warned as the hard faced brute gave Jesus a haunting smile that made him shiver. He had to step up, this guy wasn't playing clean.

With a yelp throwing in all of his strength he used the din of the crowd to find his adrenaline for the next few points but it was taking all he had in him as they grappled and fell, switching between deadlock and swift, rolling scrambles. His lead was gained and lost before hopping up again and his moms and siblings winced with every smackdown.

As Jesus rose from another pummel, the room spinning slightly, he steadied himself and took a look at the scoreboard. His competitor's eyes got more full of fire as they took back his focus, both of them knowing that the next round would be the decider.

Jesus felt his heart pounding as the two boys bobbed across from each other. He could feel the sweat pulsing down his brow and almost hear the movement of his opponent's chest. As they flew towards each other it the rest seemed like a blur as his body swayed from feeling completely helpless to a sudden throb of power. He could feel the other student going down but he wasn't going without a fight. As he held him he could feel the air building up in the chest he was hovering above and in a momentary shift of balance he felt their bodies roll again, vibrating in a throng of panting. Unsure entirely of what it was at first there was yell from the ref and the next thing Jesus knew he heard fabric tear and felt a sudden loosening of his singlet around his shoulder. Hearing the whistle he pulled himself away and wiped his face, unable to see through the sweat of his eyes what exactly was going on between the ref and the two coaches. As his brain caught up, he realised a fold of his singlet was hanging down the right side of his body where his opponent has torn clean through in his overly aggressive move.

Before clocking the details of what would happen next, something else caught his eye. Emma's face at the sideline looking utterly bemused with a hint of hurt in her eyes. There was a ringing in his ears accompanied by the buzz all around him, mixed with boos and shouts. He just about caught Hayley in the stands looking at him with a wash of excitement in her face and chewing on her thumbnail. Feeling a pain from his exhaustion he bent down, his hands resting on his knees as he blinked through a series of short gasps before his breathing regulated. As his eyes got focussed he realised just exactly where his uniform had torn. It now acted as a perfect frame for Hayley's name, etched as prominently as ever across his muscles. His heart now pulsed for a different reason. He looked back to Emma, suddenly understanding her expression a lot more.

The final cogs of realisation clicked into place, and before he could stop himself he found his moms' furious eyeline knowing exactly what their gaping mouths were fixated on. The nervous looks of his siblings were enough to confirm that it wasn't the result of the match that had angered them but what had been revealed during it.

* * *

**Uh-oh. Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts/predictions! Chapter 2 coming tomorrow :)**


	2. Facing the Fury

**Thanks for the lovely reviews and all the reads, follows and favs, guys! Here is chapter 2. Thanks to _thesameguest_ as always. I hope you enjoy!**

"What...that...please tell me that is not what I think it is..." Stef's voice slowly ramped from confusion and despair to a steady exasperated anger.

"Oh my God." Lena stuttered, feeling a steady sickness gulping through her and staring dead onto the mark that had suddenly been exposed.

"You know, it may not actually be a tattoo..." Brandon lied, panicking for a way to try and defend his brother, only to be met by a piercing glare from his mom.

"You think she signed her name on him with magic marker? That's a brand, Brandon! Our baby has branded that girl's name on his body!"

"Well, technically it was the Mexican fair guy..." Mariana muttered, suddenly regretting it as both her moms now turned to her.

"At the Mexican fair?!" Stef shrieked. "He got a random guy on the street to mutilate him?"

"You knew about this?" Lena shook her head towards Mariana with a stern chill in her voice.

Mariana gaped, shuffling away slightly in her seat next to Stef as she stuttered.

"OK, so he made a mistake but you know Hayley was pretty mad at him that day and -" Brandon tried to deflect realising quickly he'd just appointed himself the new target.

"You knew about this too? Did all of you know about this?" Stef now took the turn to yell, interrogating all four of them with her eyes as both Callie and Jude quickly shook their heads, not wanting to be sucked in.

Both moms glared down at Jesus who had now caught himself in their spotlight, desperately trying to look away. It was clear that whatever happened next would not be pleasant.

"Why would he do something like that? Why? How could he be so stupid?" Stef raged towards Lena, trying not to raise her voice any louder.

"He...maybe...I guess we'll have to ask him." Lena tried to answer even though she was struggling just as much to reason it in her head. She knew Jesus could be rash but this was a whole other level - not just the fact that it was a tattoo but a tattoo tying him to a girl he had barely been with.

"Oh he's not the only one who knows! I bet this was all her idea." Stef accused, her eyes now fixating on Hayley several rows below and to the side of them. "That girl needs a reality check! He never would have done something like this before she got her talons into him."

"Stef..." Lena tried to temper her wife as Stef began to move forward in her seat. "I doubt she held him down and forced him, Jesus has to take the responsibility for this." Ignoring her efforts, Stef extended her hand, pointing to the oblivious girl.

"Oh he will, don't you worry -" She growled back. "But this screams of her influence. Always manipulating and monopolising him." Stef continued to rant as the other kids squirmed awkwardly in their seat. The hasty exchange continued, quelled only by their parents control of manifesting their fury in icy whispers.

"I'm going to go give her a piece of my mind - "

"And say what, exactly?" Lena scolded as Stef huffed, buzzing with anger. "We need to take a beat and talk to our son before you go storming down there throwing Hayley off the bleachers."

"Take a beat? OK sure, I'm perfectly happy dragging Jesus up here first and throwing them off together. And it'll be the last thing they _do_ do together because this relationship is over, _whatever_ he has scrawled across his chest!" She scowled one more time, spitting her rage into a hoarse croak before taking a breath.

"Stef - " Lena stated dryly, at the first break in her wife's hyperbolic rampage.

"Stop scolding me, Lena! How are you not more angry about this?" Any control Stef had broke, her eyes flaring towards her wife whose stern face instantly calmed it down.

"You know I'm just as angry." Lena replied firmly. "I'm furious, but it's not going to help anyone if we go storming in, tearing them apart. We both know it doesn't work like that - we can't dictate who our son can and can't see!"

"Oh yeh? Wanna try me?" Stef snapped back before instantly recoiling and diving her head into her hands and closing her eyes.

"Fine. You're right. I know you're right just, please! Our 15 year old just permanently scarred his body. At least give me five minutes to vent before I have to be an adult about this." Stef's voice dropped as she sucked on her lip and huffed some left over air out through her nose. Lena granted her the silence, running a hand down her arm as the kids around them decided it best to keep the peace, only exchanging looks of nervousness between them.

"He's gone through to the locker room - should we go take him home?" Lena asked tentatively, her tone no-nonsense despite her efforts to stay cool headed.

"Mmhmm." Stef grunted. "It'll be a lot easier for us to kill him there." She glared for a moment longer before taking in Lena's look and rolling her eyes. "Or yell at him anyway, but you better not make me out to be the unreasonable one, here." She instantly defended herself, knowing that although she could fly off the handle, this was a legitimate reason.

"Don't worry, we're on the same page." Lena assured her as they stood. "Kids get your things so we can -"

"We'll make our own way back." Brandon cut her off, the other three nodding in agreement, traumatised by the prospect of the tension of the imminent car ride.

Stef eyed them all but wasn't going to complain. "Don't be late back, guys." Lena ordered, happy that they would be given the space they needed to deal with this.

"Bet my nose piercing doesn't seem so bad now..." Mariana whispered to Callie as soon as her moms were out of earshot, though not quite out enough judging by the look from Lena she was met with. She quickly buried her head down as Callie winced a smile towards her. Right now they were just glad none of them were in Jesus' shoes.

* * *

"You have some serious explaining to do!" Stef stormed into the empty locker room.

"Mom!" Jesus swung round. "What if there were other people in here?"

"Then I'd choose somewhere else with no witnesses. What were you thinking?" She dismissed his statement, her arms folded and her eyes like daggers as Lena took over, equally as stern.

"Jesus, do you have any idea how dangerous it is to have somebody use needles on your skin like that? You have no idea how clean that man keeps his tools or who else he may have used them on - "

"And even take out how dumb getting a bootleg tattoo is, you got one with your girlfriend's name? For one, it's tacky and short-sighted and secondly it's a permanent devotion you're making at fifteen years old! There's a reason you have to be 18!"

"Mom, I get it, you don't like Hayley - " Jesus fought back, despite not disagreeing with her analysis. Right now though he was feeling attacked and that would be the last thing he would admit.

"This has got nothing to do with that! You could have _my_ name tattooed on your body and I'd still be furious!" She shot him down as he huffed out of his nose as his mom continued her rampage.

"You realise if you and Hayley split up you'll be explaining this to every future girlfriend you ever have? To your kids. Hell, maybe it would be easier to just drag you to a parlour now and get _"I was 15 and an idiot"_ printed above it just to save you the trouble."

"I thought you were just raving about how that was illegal." Jesus squared off, petulantly as Stef laughed in disbelief.

"Enough. Jesus, you are in no position to be rude right now. Don't act as if we don't have a right to be mad about this." Lena spoke up resulting in a momentary stand off as Jesus studied both their faces. They were right, he was just upset his secret was out but it's not like he didn't know this would be coming.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled out. "I know it was dumb. I just got so swept up in the moment and well...it just seemed like the only thing to do."

Stef was about to fire back but Lena took her arm, a simple enough gesture that worked to remind her to give him a little slack in the face of his apology. The tension was far from resolved, however as Stef garbled out some strained words with a cover of civility.

"So you felt pressured into doing it?" She grumbled out, the words catching in her throat.

Jesus looked between their expectant glares. Had he? Of course he had, but did that mean Hayley was wrong to seek some devotion? It had been the wrong way to do it, but that was his fault, not hers.

"I...-" He stuttered before being interrupted by the door opening. All three turned to look and none were thrilled to see who it was that had entered.

"Hayley, this isn't a good time - " Jesus spoke up before anyone else could.

"I just came to check you were OK..." She replied as Stef squinted, Lena putting a hand on her armback, apprehending what she thought may come next. It didn't stop her wife from responding but it managed to prompt her to keep her words civil.

"No, he's not OK, but if you could excuse us, please, we're trying to talk to our son in private."

Hayley readjusted her shoulders, dipping her eyebrows down to face Stef straight on. "I know you don't approve of our relationship but it's just a tattoo - "

"Just a _tattoo?_" Stef snapped, her voice cracking.

"I really think it is best for you to give us some space, Hayley." Lena cut them both off firmly but not sparing any of her own anger in her brashness. Hayley weighed it up for a moment, looking at Jesus as if expecting him to intervene. He knew that look in her eyes.

"Are you going to say anything?" She hurried him as he froze, clearly lost for anything to say that wouldn't end up with him being wrong to at least one of present company.

"Fine. Way to stand up for us." She whispered resentfully. "Call me when you're done." She added bluntly as she turned to leave.

"Good luck with that considering he's gonna be grounded." Stef shouted after as Lena chastised her again with a look. There had been no dispute on punishing him, but using it to taunt Hayley didn't seem to be the brightest move in the volatile environment.

"You can't stop me from having a girlfriend." Jesus pointed to Hayley's departed figure to assert his stance.

"Is that a challenge?" Stef shot back before clocking Lena's further insistence on playing things calm and collected. After a beat, she scratched her forehead and gave a weary sigh, readjusting her tone.

"Jesus, we know we can't stop you from having a girlfriend but you are really gonna have to start proving you can handle one before we let you go running riot again. Now, get your things and get in the car. We'll talk about this at home." Stef turned to the door, unable to stand this any longer. She was trying to balance her fury with her disappointment and there was nothing about this location that was making it any easier for her to do so.

Jesus looked to Lena with pleading eyes but despite her calmer countenance it was clear that she and Stef were on the same page.

"You heard your Mom." She affirmed sternly, raising her eyebrows and stepping aside for him to pass her. He clutched his bagstrap tight around his shoulder and dipped his head.

As they walked through the hallway he saw Emma emerging from the gym and immediately guilt swarmed over his face. He knew they weren't together anymore but he couldn't help but feel humiliated and as if he had betrayed her. What would this make her think of him? Why did he even care? He wouldn't have done had they not had that talk before.

As she passed him, he looked back and noticed that she paused. He looked to Lena, silently asking permission with sparkling, sorry eyes. She looked back to Emma and couldn't help but sympathise. It can't have only been awkward for her family. She walked past him, granting him permission by giving him the space. If this was just an apology he would probably have caught up before Stef even broke her stride. He wouldn't risk dithering.

Jesus darted back to catch Emma who had continued her walk, calling her back softly.

"I'm sorry." He added, causing her to turn. "I know that that can't have been easy. It doesn't mean that Hayley is...well, that she means -"

"Jesus, what you get up to in your relationship is none of my business." She retorted, more hurt than accusing. She looked him up and down seeing the genuine regret.

"I just hope you are doing it for the right reasons."

It would have been easier if she had just condemned him rather than saying what he knew deep down was his problem. Without a response, he nodded as Emma moved away again, leaving him standing there. Emma bit her lip and tried to speed up but something was pulling her back. Jesus did dumb things and no doubt this was as much his fault as it would be Hayley's, if not more so, but she could tell from what he had said earlier that he wasn't happy. As much as she didn't want to, she cared about that. Stopping a few paces further she cursed herself silently and stopped again, calling back after him.

"Hiding this and having it come out now probably hurt a lot more than if you'd have just been honest in the first place." She said, hoping that he would get the double meaning after their talk before. "Hiding things never helps anyone, least of all yourself."

He understood, but he still couldn't decide if he was ready to tell them that yet, especially in light of all this. He turned back to his route and saw his moms had reached the doorway. He quickened his pace before provoking them to make him and tried to clear his head. This was going to be a long journey and right now that prospect was all he could face.

* * *

Jesus sat, arms crossed and burying himself as deeply into the sofa as he could. His moms had been talking in the next room but he was too jaded to bother eavesdropping. He didn't care how much trouble he was in - there was just none of this that could get any worse. He still had his phone, they hadn't taken that yet and there was such a fog of silent anger in the car that the specifics of his punishment were the last thing on their mind.

"OK, now we're going to talk about this rationally." Lena announced as they entered the room. Stef was looking much calmer and as if she agreed but it was hard to tell behind the look of sadness in her eyes. She just couldn't get her head around why her son was acting like this and that felt like a failure to her.

"Jesus, can you tell us why you did this to yourself?" Stef asked plainly. Jesus looked down to his fingers as they clasped around each other and sucked out his lips with a shrug. He didn't want to talk about this, no matter how rational they were going to be. Not now.

"Honey, this talk has to go both ways if we're going to get anywhere." Lena added as he lazily looked up to them. He was feeling angry but it was nothing compared to having to face the shame of it all, especially the way it had been exposed. It was easier to be defiant when they had been yelling at him. This calm just proved what he had known all along, that it was really disappointment he was facing.

"I just wanted to do something nice for Hayley. We'd been having a bad day - I mean you were the one who kicked us out of the -"

"Oh I know you're not going to blame this on me..." Stef winced with a warning tone as Jesus paused to backtrack.

"No, we just...it was supposed to be a special date. She wanted to know that our relationship was more than just..." he paused, taking in the two nervous looks and decided that maybe implicit honesty would be best. He rubbed his thighs with his palms and regrouped. "She wanted to know that I cared about her and was proud to be her boyfriend. That's all. For me to prove my love for her."

Stef scrunched up her face, taking all of her power not to get up and shake him but Lena had succeeded in calming her mood down in preparation. Instead, she placed her knuckle over her mouth, physically restraining the comments she wanted to make.

"Sweetheart, you are fifteen years old." Lena stated, almost pleading. "You don't need to prove yourself to anyone, especially not like this."

"I know, I get that. I just didn't think it all the way through. I panicked and made a mistake. Aren't I allowed to make mistakes? Everyone else in this house does." Jesus whined, his voice stepping up in pace.

"Of course, honey, and nobody is going to love you any less for doing so but that doesn't mean you don't have to face the consequences of making them!" Stef spoke up, her eyebrows dipping over her eyes as she tried to lock them in contact with her son.

"I am, mom! I have a tattoo - that's a pretty permanent consequence. And maybe it's one I knew about when I chose to do it. Maybe I thought it was better than what would happen if I didn't. You speak as if there's no chance of me and Hayley staying together. Maybe I would prefer this as a consequence than having her dump me." He wasn't sure where that had come from, he had begun to panic about how he could come out of this in any better light and somehow it had manifested in denial.

"Jesus, you've had three girlfriends in the last six months..."

"What's that got to do with anything?" He shot back, offended. "It wasn't my fault that Lexi went...and Emma, well..." he paused, biting his lip, deciding he'd preferred the denial. "Look, how many girls I date and how much I like them has nothing to do with you. You're always so judgemental."

"Jesus." Stef warned, her son's obvious escalation in anger not doing any good for her suppressing her own. "Listen, we're not just worried about the tattoo - we're worried about your whole attitude right now. About the hold that Hayley has and whether that's healthy." Stef paused, biting down on her lip as Lena took over.

"Honey, what you did was rash and impulsive. We know you care about trying to make the people you care about happy but you have to try and break this pattern. You have to understand it's not your responsibility to make everyone around you happy."

Jesus knew instantly what it was that she was referring to and he felt his head heating up, his pulse beating hard through his temples. He couldn't face having this conversation right now and he certainly couldn't face talking about Ana. It would be too tempting to crack and he needed space. He needed time to process. He felt his head exploding. He had to get out.

"I can't talk about this right now." He mumbled before standing up off the sofa. "This whole thing is stupid."

"Excuse me?" Stef clarified. "Jesus, sit down. We're not finished talking about this."

"Well I am." He shot back before striding out of the room and buying his hands deep into his pockets, trying to grip hard into his fingers to feel the pain flow through them.

Lena sat forward to get up but Stef put an arm on her knee. "Leave him. We're not going to get through to him right now." She advised, knowing too well from her own temperament what good that would do beyond aggravating him further.

* * *

Jesus stormed into his room and shut the door. He threw himself onto his bed and smacked his arm over his forehead, staring at the ceiling. He blinked aimlessly for a few moments, taking in the silence before his head started to shout at him again. Why did he run from that? His moms weren't being unreasonable. They had every right to be pissed and they weren't exactly yelling at him any more. Why was he feeling so sensitive about it? He had never had any trouble facing punishments before, God knows he'd had enough of them. What was he so scared of facing with this one? He felt his phone buzz gently in his pocket as he cursed silently to himself. He had a predictable stack of texts waiting for him.

_Don't let them tell you what to do. _

_Are you going to be allowed to see me? _

_You need to stand up for yourself. For us. _

_Why are they being so unreasonable?_

Deciding it was best to at least stop the flow, he wittled out a reply.

_Got a lecture. Went up to my room._

He dipped his head down and braced his forehead on his phone only needing to wait a few seconds for a reply. The next buzz wasn't a message but a call. He weighed it up with a sigh. Would this end up just being a lecture from Hayley instead? On the other hand, it couldn't be worse than being trapped with his own thoughts.

_"How did it go? Are you in serious trouble?" _

Jesus shrugged, spinning round in his chair.

"Yeh, but they didn't say what yet. They probably are gonna ground me until it fades or something."

_"How can they get so upset about a little tattoo? And what was with your Mom's attitude. She doesn't even try to hid the fact that she hates me."_

"She doesn't hate you...she was just upset..." Jesus defended, instantly falling into the trap of trying to sooth her.

_"Then why can't she just be happy for us. It's like they just want to control you. They seriously need to cut the apron strings. They're so possessive." _

As Hayley spoke Jesus screwed up his face. He knew his moms had a lot of rules but he knew how cool they had been with many things. Just hours earlier Emma had said how cool they were, and he had agreed with her at the time. Why had that changed now? Just because he was talking to Hayley?

_"Jesus?" _Hayley prompted him realising he had stopped listening. _"Did you hear me? I said I can come get you. We can just go for a drive around the block or something. Talk. Your moms probably won't even know."_

"Uhm..." Jesus stuttered, his head now trapped in a reel of the day's conversations. He couldn't focus on that at the same time Hayley was talking. "Gotta hang up - I'll text you about meeting in a sec."

He hung up before she could even respond and pressed his phone against his lips. He needed to clear his head. He needed some air. He needed to lose the stress he was carrying. Maybe a talk would be a way to do that.

* * *

"He's either going to freak out again or relent. I think we need to just push through it till we get an answer now he's had some time to calm down." Stef strategised as she and Lena headed up the stairs.

"Well whatever happens we need to not take the bait to fight back, got it?" Lena looked pointedly at her wife.

"Hey! I think I've been quite restrained..." She replied, noting the skeptical look she was met with. "...since we got back." She added bashfully. "I just want him to actually learn from this."

"He will, but if we ban this relationship, he'll rebel. We need to set rules to help him understand how to have more control over his actions, not just hammer orders at him." Lena assured her, getting to their son's door which lay slightly ajar.

"Jesus." She knocked softly. "Honey, can we talk?" They both listened for a response as they pushed it open before they were greeted with an empty room. They looked at each other before Stef strode past and checked the bathroom door. It was also empty.

"Oh, if he's snuck off to meet her..." Stef whispered harshly. Jesus wouldn't run away for good, but it didn't make his absence any less unsettling. Both of them powered downstairs, hoping wherever he was he hadn't made it far.

**Reviews and predictions welcome! Final chapter tomorrow :)**


	3. Finding the Middle Ground

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! I hope everyone enjoyed this little diversion. I imagine all will change tonight as I'm putting money on tattoo reveal for this little camping trip. Anyhow, I hope you like this final chapter. I would love to know thoughts on this or the overall story. Not entirely sure when I will next be writing again but I may have a Fostering Fun update in the near future.**

* * *

"At least we haven't taken his cell off him yet. I'll call him and tell him to get his butt home." Stef scurried down the stairs, already dialling.

"I'll go and check he's not still on the street." Lena added as she moved to grab her coat.

"Jesus!" Stef gasped out holding her hand out to halt Lena's movement. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen..." he replied, stepping through the doorway, a confused look on his face as both his moms spun round and Stef slammed the phone off.

"When did you even come downstairs?" Lena asked, bemused at how they had jumped so quickly to conclusions.

"A few minutes ago..." He paused, catching on his next words but gulping down his fear to say them. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Stef and Lena looked at each other nervously before Lena extended her arm back out towards the living room.

"Come on, let's sit."

"Can we go outside?" he asked cautiously. "I just really need some air."

His moms nodded, Stef dipping her head as she placed her hands on his shoulders and guided him out. As they walked, he went through it in his mind again. He couldn't ignore the fact that Emma's words were ringing louder than Hayley's. He knew which one of them was right and which was wrong, he knew it in his gut. Hayley had never said not to tell his parents but he knew that his relationship with her had caused him to pull away from them. He already knew deep down that his weakness for Hayley was the same weakness he had for Ana, but this wasn't just about realising he didn't always have to take care of everyone, but that he also had people who took care of him. Emma had reminded him of that. As mad as they may be that he lied, it wouldn't be nearly as bad as if he kept lying...and it's not like they could be any more mad than they already were tonight. It was the best opportunity he would have.

They settled on the porch and waited patiently as Jesus looked down at the deck. They weren't going to rush him, as twitchy as Stef's hands were getting.

"Uhm -" He finally broke his silence, still unsure of how to launch into this. "I'm sorry for...well. All this. I knew I shouldn't have done it at the time and I knew you'd be mad. I know I have to face that." He admitted. "...but you still could be nicer to Hayley..." He grumbled, not content with disowning all blame for the fights they had had throughout the night. Stef sucked back her response into a lump in her throat gaining an approving smile glancing sideways at her. Jesus broke his gaze on the floor to take another brief look before looking back to his fingers.

"We appreciate that, but you know that you are still going to be grounded?" Lena said calmly, rewarding his co-operation even her words didn't.

"Mmhmm." He replied reluctantly.

"And Jesus, you really have to prove to us that you can make better choices." Stef added. "If we think that you have bad influences in your life then it's our _job_ to look out for you. We're also going to be discussing possibilities for getting that thing off you. That isn't a conversation for tonight though."

Jesus was about to protest but decided to pick his battles. Tonight probably wasn't the night to demand more respect.

"That said, we need to make sure you can talk to us about what's going on in your life, and that includes your girlfriend." Lena met him half way, sensing that there was more that he wasn't saying. "The most important thing for us is that you don't feel you have to hide things from us, even if it's something you are worried you'll get into trouble for. You have to trust that -"

"Ana's pregnant."

Jesus closed his eyes. He wasn't even sure how the words came out. There was silence. It was as if his moms weren't even there; that by closing his eyes he had transported himself out of the garden.

He had heard that speech of Lena's a hundred times but tonight, for the first time, he had reached the point where he couldn't block it out any more. Getting unnerved by the silence he opened his eyes, looking up from under his dipped head. Both his moms were as he imagined. Stunned.

Lena's shoulders had dipped down and her mouth was still frozen mid word. Stef looked more concerned, almost terrified but bordering on incensed. She was the first to speak.

"How...uhm." She stopped, finding a dryness in her throat. "How did you find that out?"

Jesus run his thumb across his lips, looking down to the grass and then up to face them again before slumping back in his seat.

"When I missed Mariana's competition, I wasn't at wrestling. I wanted to see Ana at AA. I wanted to know it could actually work. I hid in the doorway and she said it. She said she wanted to do better for the new baby than she did for us." His eyes swelled up, unsure of what would come from his admission. He wasn't sure if he could take more yelling but he braced himself just in case.

That didn't happen.

He was met with sympathetic head dips as both of his moms felt their hearts pang. This is what their son had been sitting with, this is what he had been trying to face and they hadn't been able to help; they hadn't even known.

"Honey, why didn't you tell us?" Lena finally spoke, in disbelief.

Jesus looked between them both as he thought it through. He was now asking himself the same question. This reaction was nothing like he expected yet it didn't feel like it was a shock.

"I thought you'd be mad I lied about it - and I didn't want to freak everyone out."

Stef stood up and turned, placing her hands on her hips and looking across the garden. How had they managed to let it come to this? Were they really that unapproachable? The tattoo she could understand but how could he think that they would punish him for something like this?

Stef turned her stare to Lena, locking deep into her similarly troubled eyes. She was almost apologising as if this was her fault. Had she driven Jesus away because of her distrust of Hayley? Seeing that she wouldn't be finding the words, Lena slipped off their seat and moved to sit next to Jesus.

"Listen, sweetheart. When it comes to Ana, or _anything_ for that matter, our reaction will never be worse than having to cope with it on you own. Everything we do is because we love you and we want you to feel safe to talk to us. This..." she stuttered, still grasping the impact of what he had revealed. "This is something that was far too big for you to cope with alone. We're upset that you felt you had to sneak around to see Ana, you know nothing good comes of that, but we're even more upset that you have had to try and handle this news all on your own."

They sat for a moment in silence as Jesus took in her words. He chewed his tongue around the inside of his mouth as he mulled over what Lena had said. Stef listened, now having turned to face them but still hovering, unable to settle. So much of Jesus' behaviour was starting to make sense. This must have been torturing him. It was torturing her and she didn't have the same emotional attachment to Ana. What about the father? Who could that -

She froze.

No. Mike would never do that. She couldn't believe he would go there, it was too much. All the times he had spoken about Ana it was clear to her this was a sobriety quest. He was doing it as penance. He wouldn't jeopardise that. She was going to kill him though as he must know and- oh no.

Another cog clicked into place.

No wonder Jesus had been so sharp around him. Her poor baby had been going through who knows how many scenarios - and she couldn't even comfort him because she couldn't say anything for sure. She knew there weren't any words to be said that could help. She was left biting on her lip in powerless surrender. Her son was shifting nervously in his seat, looking between them still, waiting for whatever would happen next. Did _she_ even know what would happen next? There was only one thing she could do.

"Here, come here." She beckoned him towards her as he stood up edgily, a puppy-like expression on his face. He looked so helpless, as much as he tried to hide behind bravado. He really was just a child, regardless of how much he wanted to act otherwise.

He edged towards her as Stef put her hands on his shoulders.

"Listen to me, love." She whispered. "We'll figure this out. I promise. We're here for you and Mariana and...well for whatever we need to be here for."

Lena smiled to herself as she watched her wife's tactility win over, as inevitable as her fiery temper and instant panic. She gazed on affectionately as Stef embraced Jesus tightly, moving her hands from his shoulders to his cheeks and then around his back, pulling him close.

Lena knew she would be holding as tight as she could and as much as Jesus would be wooden and reluctant, she knew it would be giving him the same feeling of safety that she got even from watching. She gave them a moment before standing up to join them and placing an arm around Jesus' head, pulling it under her wing for a kiss and running her hand down Stef's back. They stayed locked for a moment as the voices in Jesus' head finally quietened. He wouldn't cry, he could fight that, but this was the last thing he had expected to get from this night.

Peace.

He knew he was still in trouble for the tattoo, as he knew it would take about five minutes for Stef to remind him as a tension relief strategy, but that seemed insignificant compared to the freedom he now felt from his burden.

They were interrupted by a sound from the edge of the house. None of them caught what had caused it but time had gone on and the other kids would be returning soon. Stef was first to pull off, settling her hands on Jesus' shoulders once again as Lena moved off as well and settled one of her hands on top, the other placing itself comfortably in her wife's lower back.

"We need to tell Mariana in the right way. I want you to let us think about it."

"Don't worry - I didn't know how to tell her anyway." Jesus admitted, scrunching his forehead.

"Ok." Stef nodded, pursing her lips together and looking at her son's trouble face again. She kissed him to hide it, something he instinctively curled away from as best he could but eventually settled to indulge her. She lingered for a moment taking in the sensation before pulling back and patting his arm.

"But you're still in big trouble for the tattoo." She added, like clockwork. The accuracy of his prediction made Jesus snigger a little, much to his moms' confusion but he licked his lips and pulled out his phone.

"I could do with a break from it anyway tonight." He admitted, seeing a string of messages despite having texted Hayley as he was going downstairs that it was about to be taken off him and he would be see her at school.

"It'll be more than tonight." Stef murmured with a threat, tired as it sounded as she patted her son away. "And this won't be the last discussion about it either." She added as he walked back towards the house via a hug and kiss from Lena.

He exhaled deeply, rubbing his face and passed through the kitchen. He didn't even notice his sister sitting blankly in the breakfast nook, paralysed. She had only come round the back to see if she could catch some of the scolding. What she had heard instead had frozen her to the spot until she had finally made it to her current spot.

How was this even possible?

How could Ana be having a baby?

* * *

Jesus span on his chair. Jude was in there now, he had been pestering him with questions about the procedure and the level of pain involved. Jesus had been giving civil but uninspired answers. He wasn't annoyed by them, but at the same time his mind was so exhausted that he could barely focus on anything other than the ceiling. He still had so many questions, but offloading them had been like a lobotomy. Suddenly they seemed more manageable now that he knew he wouldn't have to answer them all on his own.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door to which Jude eagerly granted entry to. He never got tired of feeling such power of authority in having his own room, even if shared.

Mariana stood there silently. She wasn't quite tear soaked but she was clearly upset and Jude immediately tuned in to it.

Jesus had barely even noticed the knock until he heard Jude agreeing to give her a few minutes alone in their room. He sat up, almost thinking that he had to clear out as well until he realised the absurdity of that. It didn't take him long to zone in on her despair, he had spent his entire life trying to sooth her from it.

"What's wrong?" He asked, immediately scooting up as Mariana tried to find the words. It was clear she was holding back tears but she did seem to have a steady hold on them, a sign that whatever it was it hadn't just happened.

"Why didn't you tell me about Ana?" She squeaked out, mustering as much confidence as she could and without succumbing to the tears she had been fighting off in the place of forced rationality.

Jesus' heart dropped. Surely their moms hadn't told her already? They wouldn't do that without warning him and it had only been an hour since their talk.

"How did you- "

"I heard you talking. In the garden." She didn't wait for him to finish his question.

Finding himself speechless once again he felt his protective instincts kicking in. "Mariana, I really didn't want you to have to worry. I wanted to make sure that I knew what was going on...that I knew the best way to break it to you -"

"You didn't get to choose how it was broken to you. You should have told me. We know not to keep secrets about Ana. Last time we...I..."

"Hey - " He cut her off softly, hopping off his bed. As he moved to comfort her, Mariana stepped back and took a breath.

"No, Jesus." She stated firmly, a determined strength in her voice. "I don't want you to try and protect me like this. I love that you do it but - " She gathered herself again and bit down on her lip.

"You shouldn't have to always be the strong one." She explained as gently as she could, haunted by the image she had seen of her brother clasped between their moms. Nobody in the world drove her crazy as he did but seeing him in that vulnerable position reminded her too much of the last time he had tried to handle something like this alone; when he had tried to clear up her mess. She couldn't help but feel responsible this time too and although there was no physical harm, the thought he had been struggling with this alone reminded her too much of her own lone dealings with Ana those few months before.

"You never would have been in this situation if I hadn't have put you there." She added, realising she wasn't making much sense out of her own head. She rubbed her hand across her nose, only just maintaining her composure. She studied Jesus' look and began to play with her sleeve, diverting her eyes.

"I dragged you to that meet up. I used that stupid tattoo to blackmail you and if I hadn't have done that you never would have wanted to go back. We should have just left her alone."

Jesus had almost forgotten about that, so much had happened since. He put his hands in his pockets, trying to think of a response.

"It's not your fault, Mariana." He mumbled as she shook her head.

"No, maybe not entirely." She continued to furiously pick at her cuffs before looking him back in the eye. "But we went to that meeting together and well, we should face this together too."

Jesus dipped his head. This was another surprise. He had expected his sister to fly off the handle, to freak out, to lose it with anger like she had with Ana; been angry at _him_ for digging further. What he had forgotten though was how much his sister had grown in the last few months. The fact she had stood up to Ana at all was proof of that. She wasn't finding this easy and none of it would be, but she was trying her hardest and he had to acknowledge that. He had been so scared of taking care of Mariana that he had missed that she had grown to be able to take care of herself. If that was the case for Mariana maybe he could have at least a little hope that Ana could grow too. Maybe this wouldn't all fall to him. Maybe there _was_ an alternative to this pattern he had been trapped in and maybe he just had to be brave enough to have faith in that.

As hard as she was trying and with as much confidence he had in her strength, he knew that a hug wouldn't go amiss and he couldn't stop himself from pulling his sister into his arms. He wasn't sure what would happen next, he never was, but that would be tomorrow's battle. For now, he was happy just to enjoy looking after his sister without the pressure of _having_ to do it - and finally he had found his perfect alternative.

**I know some of you well enough to know you probably want to see the moms discussing the baby but I'd rather leave that to the show. Sorry! :P If there is space for canon missing scenes I may come up with something at that time. **

**Thank you all again and I would love to hear your thoughts. See you next time!**


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